The Tesla and X CEO is offering $1 million to honor the memory of Iryna Zarutska, who was fatally stabbed by a man with 14 prior arrests while she was riding a train home from work.
From tragedy to tribute: Elon Musk’s $1 million gift to honor Ukrainian refugee killed in Charlotte
The murder of a Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte has triggered backlash and criticism of the justice system that allowed a man with 14 prior arrests to be out on the streets. Trump took advantage of the tragedy to blame Democrats and claim that his political party will solve the problem. “North Carolina, and every State, needs LAW AND ORDER, and only Republicans will deliver it!,” Trump said on Truth Social.
The brutal attack on the train resulted in Zaratuska’s death as other passengers on the train were unable to help her. Decarlos Brown was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
The crime has been used to justify the Trump Administration’s deployment of the National Guard and federal troops to Los Angeles and Washington DC. The mayor Charlotte Vi Lyles blamed the tragedy on a failed court system and the mental illness crisis in the U.S.
NEW: @elonmusk is offering $1 million to fund murals in major U.S. cities featuring the face of Iryna Zarutska, the Ukrainian refugee fatally stabbed in a random attack by a man with 14 prior arrests while she was riding a train home from work.
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 10, 2025
President Trump has called for… pic.twitter.com/mQoW1FkjRz
Elon Musk has been posting information related to the murder and other posts about the problem the U.S. faces with crime and a failed justice system. The Tesla CEO has offered to pay $1 million to help fund murals in U.S. cities with the face of Iryna Zarutsk.
Trump wants Decarlos Brown Jr. to face the death penalty for the alleged murder. “We are heartbroken beyond words. Iryna came here to find peace and safety and instead her life was stolen from her in the most horrific way,” her family said in a statement. “No family should have to go through this.”
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